Elexson Hercules, a 19-year-old Hispanic male, was beginning to forge a new path in his life. A former member of the MS-13 gang, he was actively trying to leave his past behind, a commitment deepened by the recent birth of his daughter. He had even delayed a necessary surgery to be present and supportive for his girlfriend and their new baby. This desire for a better life was tragically cut short on the night of June 21, 2012.
While walking with a friend and three other people in East Boston, Hercules and his companions were approached by a group of four men at the corner of Bennington and Marion Streets. As his friends walked on, Hercules stayed behind to speak with the men. Moments later, his friend heard him pleading. The four men quickly fled the scene, leaving Hercules bleeding on the sidewalk. He had been stabbed five times in the chest. Emergency services arrived and transported him to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
In the wake of his death, police were on alert for potential retaliatory violence, given his past gang affiliations. His father spoke of his son's efforts to change, and those involved in an anti-violence program with him attested to his seriousness about his new role as a father. Despite the circumstances of the attack, with witnesses present in the initial moments, no arrests have ever been made in connection with the murder of Elexson Hercules. The case is officially listed as an unsolved homicide by the Boston Police Department, and the identities of the four men who approached him that night remain unknown.
